This application is a Continuation of International application Serial No. PCT/AT2010/000160, filed May 10, 2010, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The invention concerns a furniture flap drive comprising a first component having an electric motor and a second component having an actuating arm, wherein the first component and the second component can be releasably fastened together and there is provided a force transmission device for moving the actuating arm.
WO 2008/134786 A1 discloses a flap mounted movably to a furniture carcass and having a mechanical actuating unit which has an actuating arm which can be connected to the flap and a force storage means acting on the actuating arm. In addition an electric drive in the form of a self-contained component can be fastened to the actuating unit, wherein fastening is possible even when the actuating unit is already mounted to the furniture carcass.
DE 20 2006 000 535 U1 shows furniture flaps of different design configurations or types. Thus for example there are furniture flaps which have become known as top flaps in which the flap is fastened rotatably at the underside of the top of the cupboard.
In addition there are flaps which are in two parts, wherein a first flap portion is rotatably connected to the furniture carcass and a second flap portion is rotatably connected to the first flap portion. When the flap is moved into the open position the first flap portion is pivoted upwardly away from the furniture carcass while the second flap portion is also pivoted upwardly towards the furniture carcass so that the flap is folded together in the open position. Such flaps have become known as upwardly foldable flaps.
A further type of flap is upwardly pivotable flaps, the flap being pivoted rearwardly away over the furniture carcass.
If the flap performs a movement during the entire opening or closing travel thereof substantially parallel to the front side of the furniture carcass, that is referred to as an upward lift flap.
That terminology is also to be retained in the context of the present application, in which respect the list of different types of furniture flaps is not to be interpreted as final.
Austrian application AT 1352/2008 discloses a furniture flap drive, wherein an identification device serves for automatic identification of the furniture flap type in the mounted condition of the furniture flap drive, to identify the respective type of furniture flap on the basis of the opening or closing angle measured with a measuring device. That makes manual presettings at the electric motor redundant.
Depending on the respective furniture flap type, different mechanical actuating units are used, which differ in particular in the differing configuration of the actuating lever or the lever mechanism of which the actuating lever is a part in order to be able to perform the respective characteristic movement of the furniture flap. The mechanical actuating unit is usually also always provided with a spring pack which serves to compensate for or calibrate for the weight of the furniture flap within certain limits.
As the furniture flaps differ by virtue of different configurations of the actuating lever or lever mechanism, fastening a single type of electric drive to mechanical actuating units for various flap types which are already mounted to the furniture carcass can be effected only with extreme difficulty, in particular as the various types of flap have different open positions and subsequent fastening of an electric drive is preferably to be effected in the open position of the furniture flap.
A possible alternative would be to develop a separate electric drive for each mechanical actuating unit which belongs to a special type of flap, that electric drive only matching that mechanical actuating unit. It will be appreciated however that that idea is to be rejected for economic reasons.